


Glacialis

by AyumiUK (weirdpianist)



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Gen, Healer Katsuki, Ice Fairy Yuri, MMORPGs, Paladin Viktor, VRMMO, Viktor has higher critical than defense, Virtual Reality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-08
Updated: 2017-02-15
Packaged: 2018-09-15 20:07:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9254495
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/weirdpianist/pseuds/AyumiUK
Summary: The year is 2035. Looking for the mysterious player Nikiforov, Seventeen-year-old Katsuki Yuuri has just started in Glacialis Online.Armed with more stamina than he knows what to do with, and an inability to cast Quad Spells, things don’t look good for our healer. That is, until he meets Yuri, a Mage who throws more knives than spells. Then, along comes Viktor.And who knows? Maybe their party might even—Make history.





	1. Glacialis Online

**Author's Note:**

> I'm sorry. This wasn't supposed to happen.  
> It was too late, by the time I realized I had a basic outline and plans...  
> edit: descriptions, minor tweaks to characters.

In 2030, a name appeared at the top of the leaderboards of the three most popular games.

At first, it was deemed a coincidence. Then, someone suggested it might actually be a group of players.

However, those rumors were laid to rest with the release of the N-CorteX. This device is locked to a person’s brainwaves and username, so that no two players can have the same level of synchronization with the same gear.

To this day, no one has ever seen Nikiforov’s face. Thus, this name remains an unfathomable legend....

* * *

>   
> [Enter name]  
>  Katsudo_

Yuuri's hands paused, hovering over the translucent keyboard. He wanted an easily recognizable name, but nothing too embarrassing.

> [Enter name]  
>  Yuuri_  
>  [this username already exists!]

He tried again. 

> [Enter name]  
>  Katsuki_
> 
> Confirm?

Yeah, that sounded about right. “Yes.”

> [Welcome to Glacialis, Katsuki!]

Everything went dark.

When he could see again, Yuuri was standing on a frozen lake. All around him, dark trees entwined and cast shadows that couldn’t be breached even by the bright full moon overhead, the lone source of light in a starless sky.

In the middle, the water underneath broke through, only to be immediately frozen solid in uncountable petals that draped around a perfectly round crystal that rose from the unseen depths.

Something inside it started glowing until it broke. The sphere then dissolved into dust, unveiling a young humanoid. A delicate hand rose, creating ripples in flowing robes spun from snow particles. It slowly tucked pale strands of hair behind a pointed ear. The most ethereal sound Yuuri had ever heard echoed around the lake.

“That was so bo~ring!”

Ah, so this was what they meant with, ‘appearances can be deceiving’.

“Hey, you!”

Yuuri pointed at his own nose.

“Yeah, you. Amuse me, human!”

“Erm, shouldn’t you be helping me with the game or something?”

The NPC—Yuuri hoped it was one—waved a hand dismissively. “Or something.” Mid-wave, they turned the gesture into a hair flip. “Anyway, what would you like? The sooner you finish, the sooner I can go back and—” An ornate chaise longue made entirely of ice appeared and the creature plopped down on it bonelessly. “On second thought, take your time. Even you can’t be worse than being stuck in a giant ice cube.”

He ignored the jab with practiced ease. “I want to be a healer?”

The creature frowned. “Don’t say it like that. Where's your confidence?”

“I will be the best healer in Glacialis and find Nikiforov!”

Bright blue eyes widened in delight. “Wow! So much enthusiasm! That’s more like it~” Leaning on the chaise, the NPC happily exclaimed, “I’ll even help you out a bit, since you seem like an entertaining individual!”

(Yuuri really tried to take it as a compliment. He really did.)

“Wow. Thanks. You’re great.”

Moving on as if not noticing the sarcasm, the NPC—who programmed such an unhelpful personality?—jumped from the chaise, which promptly dissolved. In its place, a mirror of carved ice appeared.

Framed by curlicues and small flowers he couldn't name, stood Yuuri… only, with pointy ears and much taller.

The—“You can call me Makka!”

Yuuri startled. But he hadn’t said anything! What was with the strange name? Deep red, really?

“Doesn’t matter if you’re thinking, or doing something. In the end, it’s all in your brain!” The creature—Makka—leaned its _—“His!” —_ head so that his bangs cast an ominous shade over his slightly glowing eyes. “I can read every single thought, directly from your N-CorteX. Every single thing.”

A shiver ran through Yuuri’s spine and he gulped, stepping back.

Makka grinned. “Just kidding! People are way too confusing, it’s impossible to read everything! But your face's like an open book. If books were neon jumbotrons, that is!”

_‘Impossible to read everything? Doesn’t that mean you can still partially read minds?’_

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” Makka singsonged.

He was starting to regret ever signing up.

* * *

Despite the nice wisdom and willpower bonus, Yuuri forewent the classical elf and chose to try all the races out before settling on one. Better be cautious, he wouldn't  be able to reroll if something went wrong.

“How do I toggle between races?”

“Oh, you say ‘transform!’ and it’ll switch to the next race in the list.”

Yuuri gave Makka a look.

“Fine! Just say whatever. Swipe with your fingers.” He pouted, crossing his arms. “I don’t care!”

Yuuri did just that.

Beastman. No.

More beastman, but cat-like. No.

More beastman, but bunny-ish. No.

More… what even—Nope. He swiped fast enough to skip a few more beastmen.

Spider. How was he supposed to move so many arms?

Fly. Bee. Beetle… a giant dung beetle? Butterflies...

Octopus. Shark. Frog.

Puddle. Was that supposed to be a water spirit or something?

Okay, it was getting ridiculous.

“How many races are there, anyway?”

From his perch on the mirror’s frame, Makka lazily replied, “Last time I counted, one hundred.” He rolled around as if gravity didn’t exist—and considering how his long hair was _floating_ around him, that was a distinct possibility. “Give or take a few dozen.”

“Can I filter by humanoid race with four limbs?”

Makka’s eyes lit up. “Ooh, why did I never think of that?” He closed his eyes for a moment, shifting in his place and mussing his creased robes even more. “Say what you want in a race and the mirror will narrow down the list for you.”

“Erm. Humanoid, but not part beast or insect. High magic.” After seeing a fairy, he included, “Normal size.”

Except.

There were still 15 races, including Selkie, Crane, Kitsune, three types of ghosts, two types of angels, three types of demons and…

“Do they all have similar status?”

Makka beamed. “Yup!”

Yuuri grumbled, “Then, how come there are so many…”

“Because I was bored and had too much free time!”

“...that was a rhetoric question.” He adjusted his glasses, only to remember he wasn't wearing any as he almost poked his eye. “Anyway, can I just randomly select from these classes?”

“Any of the fifteen?”

He nodded. “Yeah. I guess this is when I should say… surprise me?"

Makka gave a delighted laugh, jumped to his feet and twirled on the spot, a few strands of hair sticking to his eyes and mouth. He was still balanced on top of the mirror, somehow.

Yuuri should know better.

He really should.

“Okay! Since you’re asking so nicely, I'll help you out~”

His body started floating and slowly rotated. When he could squint through the rapidly fading brightness, Yuuri stared.

Pale hands slicked dark hair back in a single, fluid motion. The person in the mirror then rested his right hand on his slightly jutted hip. Light blue crystals glinted, surrounded by dark (there was a theme there, he was sure), _skintight_ fabric, while a half-skirt of the same material swayed in a previously inexistent breeze.

Then, the man in the mirror slowly moved his arms around as if embracing a lover, half-lidded eyes in a look that shouldn’t be allowed out in the open. He turned around, revealing a pair of huge leathery wings and a tail.

It took a while for Yuuri to remember how to speak.

“Can I change?”

Makka hopped from the mirror and circled around Yuuri appraisingly. “Nope! I already set your character!” He beamed and turned to look Yuuri's reflection in the eye. “And you even got a charisma bonus!" He gave him a thumbs up. "And the ability to fly!” His other hand rose to form double thumbs up. “I’m such a nice person.”

Mirror him blew a kiss.

Yuuri shuddered and unconsciously wiped his mouth. To avoid looking at the mirror, he decided to check his status.

“System menu. Status.” 

> Katsuki │ Succubus │ Level 1
> 
> HP 69 │ MP 34

_‘Of course it is.’_

> Strength 9

_‘What do I even do with this much strength? Beat mobs with tomes?’_  

> Constitution 17

_‘Isn’t it the same as stamina? I guess I can run a lot…?’_

> Speed 5  
>  Dexterity 9  
>  Magic 12

_‘Huh. Normal magic user stats.’_

> Willpower -2

_‘...what.’_

> Charisma 15  
>  Luck 0

Yuuri was starting to—no, screw starting! He was regretting it with one hundred percent of his soul!


	2. Blame your Fate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> For Yuuri, Fate is a long-haired pretty boy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **On NPCs:** All canon characters are still human (most even play the game). So, NPCs had to be OCs.
> 
> Currency  
> 1 Gold = 2 Silver  
> 1 Silver = 100 Bronze  
> 1 Bronze = 10 Dime  
> (fun fact: an Olympic Bronze medal is worth more or less USD3; Silver, 260~300; Gold, 500~600.)
> 
> The **Base** price of a Loaf of Bread is 1 Dime (0,1 Bronze). The base price of Cheap Meat is 5 Bronze/kg. The full explanation on prices is in the end notes.
> 
>  **On potions:** any mob can drop one (0.1 x mob level)%. Their base price is 1 Silver and recover 30% of a player’s HP (recovery may be affected by certain abilities/status effects).

Before he even started exploring the beginner area, Yuuri decided to test a little theory of his.

No attribute could go below 0, unless there was some sort of modifier involved, be it equipment penalty or status effects. As he hadn’t even exited the character custom screen at the time, there was a good chance it an useless piece of equipment. Maybe an ability, although he wasn’t counting on the latter.

“System Menu, equipment.”

> Eros’ Embrace  
> ★★★★★★  
>  Level 1
> 
> This enticing outfit is said to have been worn by Eros himself as he seduced his  
>  beloved Psyche.
> 
> Speed 1  
>  Dexterity 3  
>  Magic 3  
>  Charisma +20%

Wasn’t Eros a god from—

Oh.

Only godly equipment could have a god’s name in Glacialis. Perhaps he'd judged Makka too harshly.

Still. If it wasn't equipment penalty…

Yuuri swiped at the screen until he found the ability menu.

> Wallflower  
>  Level 1
> 
> No one knows what this person is hiding, or that they’re even there. Completely unremarkable.
> 
> -(WIL)  
>  Stealth +50%  
>  (Luck/10)% double spell/skill effectiveness.

If he got that right, did that mean his WIL was inverted?

That meant it was pathetic to begin with! What the hell was wrong with this game?

The stealth bonus was nice, though. Especially for a healer. Not being, well, mobbed, by mobs while casting was always a good thing.

Then, it dawned on him.

His luck was zero.

“Unequip Wallflower!”

> [Innate ability. Cannot unequip.]

Yuuri violently cursed Makka, in his heart.

* * *

  
Seeing his hometown inside a game was a very surreal experience; even more so with its unfamiliar buildings and people. It never snowed as much in the real Hasetsu either.

Yuuri walked in the general direction of where the beach was in real life.

There it was. Despite the incongruously thick blanket of snow covering the sand, the sea looked as beautiful as it did back home.

However, it was an unsettling, twisted imitation of reality. Where the waves should dance in placid invitations of warm baths, he could hear promises from the darkness hidden behind shifting foam. They whispered of death and eternal cold.

He wisely steered away. There was no need to touch the water to appreciate the view, after all.

Yuuri slowed down as he made his way through the road by the sea, trying to pinpoint all the differences.

The sudden pain in his leg was a nasty shock. 

> -26HP
> 
> -1 HP

The giant ice crab had severed an artery, if the rivulets of blood trailing down his leg were anything to go by. Clumps of sand mixed with his blood and clung to his feet—when had he strayed from the road?

> -1 HP

Yuuri was about to grab for his knife when he remembered: he didn't have one.

Aaa…

Shit.

And his HP was still dropping from blood loss. He should do something about it, unless he wanted to find out if there were any penalties for dying. The painful way, that is.

He tried to run, but his speed was no match for the insistent crab. Would that really be his fate? Dying on his first enemy encounter, without even attacking once?

Yuuri was about to curse his fate (in his mind, fate was a fair-haired teenager), when inspiration struck. Quite literally, considering he hit his shin on it while running for cover.

There, lying on the sand, was a sturdy branch. It had most likely washed up by the shore.

Deciding he had nothing to lose, he grabbed it and whacked the crab’s head with the desperation of a doomed man, and all his 9 points of strength:

> -20 HP

And again and again. And...

> -25 HP
> 
> -23 HP
> 
> -21 HP
> 
> -21 HP
> 
> **Combo Bonus! +100%**
> 
> -43 HP

He barely noticed the messages popping up continuously as he chipped chunks off the crab’s body with a stick.

> **[System notice]**
> 
> **Achievement unlocked!**
> 
> First Blood  
>  Crustacean Hunter  
>  Combo Novice 1
> 
> **Ability unlocked!**
> 
> Finishing Blow

Yuuri swung again. The crab started melting.

He offhandedly noted the numbers indicating his exp gain.

> Exp. 97/100

Huh, did a level one mob really give that much experience?

The crab had finished melting. In its place, there was a single copper coin—A Bronze—and a pincer. Why was there only one pincer when the rest had melted away… he decided not to linger on that.

Yuuri picked the pincer and recoiled, throwing it to the side. Too cold!

> -2 HP

...did he seriously get frostbite from collecting loot?

He rolled the pincer around with the tip of the branch.

“Examine.”

> **Ice Crab Pincer**  
>  ★★☆☆☆  
>  The soul of a dead crab is condensed in this tiny crystal-like object. Its resentment is strong enough to give frostbite, therefore it shouldn't be handled with bare hands. Except if you're into feeling pain. Or an ice elemental. Or both. Either way, no one is judging you. _No one._

If it wasn't just an item description, he'd almost believe someone was out to get him. As it was, he was just wondering who wrote them.

Not wanting to let his precious loot go to waste, Yuuri poked it with his stick.

It grabbed back.

He didn't scream, and no one can prove otherwise.

(Had he turned even a second earlier, he would have caught a glimpse of bright blue and silver from behind a tree.)

* * *

  
On his way back, Yuuri encountered two more crabs and what looked like the unholy fusion of spaghetti, mango ice pop, and jellyfish. He was about to turn it into a popsicle by skewering it with the stick, when it started dissolving into sludge.

So it wasn't emotionally ready to be a popsicle… pity.

When he finally reached the city, his HP was down to its last dregs. Fortunately, his vest had magically re-knitted itself, and was apparently tight enough to stanch the bleeding. He tried not to think of how he'd peel it from his wound later on.

And he'd have to. There were no healing potions in Glacialis.

Technically, that wasn’t really the truth, but they were so expensive no beginner would be able to buy one anyway.

The in-game justification made sense, in a way. Something along the lines of, why should an item that demands rare ingredients and so much brewing time cost the same as a potato? Still, it felt a bit like half-baked artificial difficulty, if anyone asked him. No one did.

Yuuri walked to the central square and quickly located a line of injured people. Approximately fifteen minutes passed before he was called inside.

In the small wooden building, a smiling healer sat him down on a simple chair. “This is a saline solution. In order to remove the cloth without further aggravating it, I will soak your wound first.” She carefully applied the liquid on his leg, all the while singing a soft tune.

The pain, while not nearly as awful as when the crab inflicted it, hadn't really gone away, especially since he'd walked and fought on his injured leg. In a moment, it was gone. Completely. He stared at her hands.

For a moment, he'd almost forgotten it was a game.

“Please wait here for a while,” she said. The healer got up, washed her hands, and then disinfected and dressed the next patient's arm.

Meanwhile, Yuuri hummed the healer’s melody. For a moment, his leg glowed softly. He almost got up, startled.

The healer gave him a chiding look. “Please do not move your leg.”

“Sorry!”

“Do not apologize. It was an impressive first attempt.” Her smile turned warmer. “The delight in your eyes… few people truly respect healing magic, even less so a single-tier spell.” She eyed him consideringly. “If there is one quality that could please a teacher, even more than the raw talent you seem to possess, it is reverence for the healing arts.”

Yuuri blushed, tail swishing in a fidgety motion. “Why would anyone think healing isn’t cool?”

“Oh? The gods must be smiling at me, today. To find a young man who appreciates my profession in this day and age!”

“...I can’t be the only one. So many people come and go every day, don’t they?”

“Few appreciate us, much less wish to learn the Healing Arts. Most expect me to simply wave my staff and knit everything back for their own convenience. They battle recklessly and demand I waste precious magic that can be used for emergencies on petty wounds, free of charge!”

Yuuri sunk in his chair, unconsciously folding his wings around himself protectively.

“If any of our healers used high-tier spells for every paper cut, nine tenths of our patients would be left to fend for themselves. The simplest potion costs enough money to feed a small family for an entire month. We do not possess a fountain of unending magical energy!”

“I… ah…” Yuuri's jaw clenched and he tried to fuse with his chair.

The healer gasped softly. “I am not talking about you, child.” She discreetly lowered the syringe she’d been waving around in her passionate speech, dangerously close to his eye. “My apologies.”

“...n-no problem.”

“Well then, let us treat your wound!”

She inspected him for a while. “I only have to raise shirts, dresses, or trouser legs, for the most part. However, you have injuries in your back, thigh and hand.”

He hadn’t noticed those other injuries. Odd.

“Do not worry. There is nothing I have not seen before.”

Yuuri nodded, rubbing at goosebumps from his eye's near brush with a pointy metal object wielded by the person right in front of him.

“I would ask whether you would prefer to undress in private; as it is, you most likely need assistance. Is that acceptable?”

He gulped. “Yeah.”

He was afraid the fabric would snag in his pointed tail, until he noticed the smallest hook-and-eye closures he'd ever seen. Thankfully, those were used to fasten the garment around his wings too. After unclasping them all, his back was completely uncovered. There were a few gashes under his right wing. As they weren’t deep, they were easily disinfected and dressed. He slowly relaxed as her singing and soothing magic washed over him.

Then they got to his leg. Removing the cloth took a few minutes, and three more Serenity lullabies. Yuuri sang them, after gathering all his boldness and asking the healer to let him.

She instructed him on how to treat his wound, carefully supervisioning as he disinfected it. It needed a few stitches, so she took over for that part, all the while letting Yuuri sing the lullaby again and again.

As the needle first punctured his skin, Yuuri faltered mid-spell. The healer immediately speed-cast silently. The extra MP for the double-tier spell was still much less than what she'd have to spend had she had to sing all the lullabies, so she didn't mind doing it.

Yuuri cast all the following spells, and then, guided by her experienced hands when instructions weren’t enough, managed to tie the bandages in a firm but gentle way that wouldn't stop his blood flow… or so he thought. She only smiled, undid his messy knot and retied slowly enough for him to see.

He was about to get up to thank her, when the healer said, “While our combined efforts made it safe enough to move, I would like to talk to you. My shift is almost over. Would you wait for a moment?”

Yuuri nodded bemusedly. He had no idea what it was about, but it wasn’t like he had the time to go back to the beach to gain more levels before he had to wake up, anyway. “Is there some out-of-the-way place where I can wait?”

She pointed to a backroom. “Feel free to sit on the sofa.”

He got up and bowed. “Thank you, doctor…”

“Hanako. And you would be…”

“Yuuri!” Wait, that was his RL name. “No, it's Katsuki!”

“I see.” She raised her eyebrow. “A pleasure to meet you, Katsuki not-Yuuri!”

He ducked his head in embarrassment.

“Go rest for a while. You are welcome to serve yourself some warm tea, and read any book you find appealing.”

“Thanks.”

* * *

  
_She noted a peculiar characteristic: every element moves in some fashion, except for ice. True, unadulterated ice element is completely devoid of motion._

_Although such a property translates itself in its stabilizing effects—observable with magical impurity levels as high as 25%, its full effects were only confirmed twenty years later, when…_

He’d opened a book out of curiosity. Yuuri never really expected any of them to be so… real. He could imagine they'd find a way to license RL books—or get public domain ones—for in-game viewing, and maybe treat them as Glacialis’ “science fiction”, but all the magic primers he'd opened so far appeared to be written specifically for the game.

He was so engrossed in it he didn't notice when the door opened and closed, or even when Hanako approached him.

“I see you are interested in magic primers. Excellent.”

Yuuri jumped on his seat. Hand over his rapidly beating heart, he took a deep breath. “What is? Excellent, I mean?”

Hanako sat down by his side. “Would you like to be my apprentice?”

Yuuri gave her a blank stare.

“I understand if you would rather search for a mentor in another city. Tokyo, perhaps. They would have to be blind to refuse you.”

“What?”

“And I would not have nearly as much time to teach you, nor do we have the best facilities…” she smiled self-deprecatingly. “However, I would be delighted to call you my student.”

“I accept!”

Her mouth opened as if to say something, then closed immediately.

Yuuri bowed hastily. “Please let me study under you!” He paused as a small alarm beeped in his mind. It was almost morning, already. He'd have to wake soon.

“Then, it is done. You must be exhausted, from running around like this. Rest, and return here tomorrow.”

Yuuri nodded. “Thank you, Master Hanako!”

She blinked and murmured, “Master…?” Deep in thought, she lowered her eyes. “I…”

* * *

  
Only after logging in that it dawned on Yuuri:

Hanako was an AI.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Prices** of consumables vary depending on Location, Season and Taxes. Certain abilities (like haggling) may lower prices. Any merchant can charge the amount they see fit, though. That includes NPC shopkeepers.
> 
>  **Price = (100+T)(BLS)/100**  
>  B = base, L = Location, S = Season, T = Tax rate.
> 
> Every area has a **Location** value for each item. e.g.: Hasetsu produces meat and strawberries. Both have a Location value of 1 (local product). Wheat has a value of 2 (same land mass) Pistachios have a value of 3 (overseas).
> 
> Each type of item has an ideal **Season** (x0,5), a normal Season (x1), and a bad Season (x2).  
>  Hasetsu has a 10% **Tax** rate.
> 
> It’s the bad season for beef, a local product in Hasetsu. **(100+10) . 5 . 1 . 2 : 100 = 11 Bronze**. That’s how much a kilogram of beef costs right now.
> 
> As for bread, it’s the ideal season, but not a local product. **(100+10) . 0,1 . 2 . 1 : 100 = 0,22 Bronze, or 2,2 dime**. Rounding the number gets you 3 dime for the bread (always round the dime up). However, if you got 5 loaves, you’d only have to pay 11 dime (2,2 . 5) instead of 15.
> 
> On a completely unrelated note, I don’t recommend renovating the house/flat if you’re living in it. Go to a friend/relative’s place or rent somewhere else, if at all possible. Or at least, find some place to store the furniture instead of moving it around from room to room. I speak from experience. January was a very interesting month.

**Author's Note:**

> I tried to go with self-explanatory stats to make things easier. But since it can get really confusing, here’s a basic guide to Glacialis Online.
> 
> Experience points: Exp can be gained by defeating mobs, completing certain quests and by performing certain actions.  
> By leveling up, a character gains one Ability Point they can spend on any attribute, except for CON.
> 
> Health Points: HP is determined by the race’s base stats and CON. If it is lower than 15%, the player’s DEX decreases. Certain classes and abilities can bypass this rule.
> 
> Magic Points: MP is determined by the race’s base stats and player’s MAG.
> 
> Strength: STR affects physical attacks and whether equipping heavier weapons will have a SPD and DEX penalty.
> 
> Constitution: CON affects the player’s stamina (how much they can run/battle before tiring). It also affects strength and health growth. It’s not possible to gain CON by simply leveling up. In order to raise it, you have to complete certain quests or specific jobs/activities.
> 
> Speed: SPD determines how fast a character can move. Without dexterity to match speed, hit percentage will drop.
> 
> Dexterity: DEX affects hit percentage, crafting jobs, and the effectiveness of dancing and playing instruments.
> 
> Magic: MAG directly affects the intensity of all spells.
> 
> Willpower: WIL affects not only the ability to successfully perform spells and skills, but also the ability to resist mental status effects, like Allure and Confuse. Lower Willpower may have adverse effects on charisma and MP.
> 
> Charisma: CHA affects how NPCs and certain mobs react to players. It increases effectiveness of dancing and haggling.
> 
> Luck: LCK affects critical hits, certain spells/skills, item drop rates, randomly generated dungeons, lotteries, etc...


End file.
